Man sentenced for posting revenge porn image of woman on Facebook

One of the first people to be dealt with under revenge porn laws humiliated a woman by posting a sexually explicit picture of her on Facebook.

Alex Till embarrassed the victim after sending the image to her through a fake social media account, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.

The 25-year-old avoided jail when he was sentenced on Thursday at Kidderminster Magistrates' Court to a 12-month community order which means he must complete a "rehabilitation programme".

He had previously admitted disclosing an explicit and private photo of the woman online without her consent.

Lionel Idan, deputy chief Crown prosecutor for West Midlands' CPS, said the "callous act was intended to cause the victim maximum distress, humiliation and embarrassment".

Till, who becomes the first person in the West Midlands to be prosecuted under the new laws, set up a false Facebook account in June.

He then messaged the victim, and had set the image as his public profile picture causing the woman "enormous distress", said prosecutors.

Following the sentencing, Mr Idan said: "Alex Till sought revenge against the victim by posting a sexually explicit photograph on to a social media website without the victim's permission.

"This deliberate and callous act was intended to cause the victim maximum distress, humiliation and embarrassment.

"Such criminal actions will not be tolerated by the CPS and the police and we will do everything in our power to obtain justice for victims of this crime by robustly prosecuting all those who engage in such malicious activity.

"The CPS has introduced new guidelines for its prosecutors on revenge porn and I urge anyone who has been a victim of such a crime to report it to the police and to help us bring such offenders to justice."

Till, of Manor Close, Kidderminster, Worcestershire, was also fined £73 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £60 and costs totalling £165.

He was prosecuted under new laws dealing with the specific offence of revenge porn, which includes the sharing of material both on and offline.

It became illegal to do so after the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill received royal assent earlier this year.

The Act has a specific amendment dealing with such actions under which offenders can serve up to two years in jail, on conviction.